Intermezzos: Epic Case, Short Stories
by Phanfan44
Summary: In The Epic Case of the Phantom of the Opera, Erik joins forces with Marek, Laura and friends to change the Timeline for the benefit of humanity. This story line is for fans of The Epic Case who have been inspired to write one-chapter stories. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

****

A/N: The stories found here are short, one-chapter stories which have been written by fans of The Epic Case of the Phantom of the Opera, which is found on this website, and has been ongoing, as epic stories tend to do, for a very long time. Almost two years now! And, there is no end in sight for that very popular story! If you haven't read it, you might want to drop in and enjoy it as well.

But, fans of that story also write and send us from time to time stories which go along with the main story line. We felt these should be shared with you, as well. So, this is the first such, one-chapter story. Those who have been reading The Epic Case will recognize that this episode fits right into the current situation where Erik has been injured in a sword battle and is recuperating. This is another viewpoint of what happened to Erik after that exciting battle!

We hope you read and enjoy this creative contribution by a fan of the Epic Case! And Please, Please, leave your review!

Disclaimer: We do not own any of the rights to the ALW play, books or movie, which are owned by people much, much wealthier than us because it was their idea first. This story is based on Gerard Butler's utterly smashing, brilliant, tragic and, of course, dignified, Erik, and his story as presented in ALW's 2004 movie, Phantom of the Opera, with some minor nods and references to the original Leroux. Kay is pretty much banished here!

But, this is no ordinary POTO story, by any means…We have also interwoven the other beloved Gerard Butler character, Andre Marek, from the movie Timeline and his time traveling abilities and technology without which, this story could not be told. Disclaimer: We don't own that character, or that story either in novel or movie form. Darn!

We do, however, own ALL the other characters, situations and very creative plotlines found in these short stories AND in the original story, The Epic Case of the Phantom of the Opera.

* * *

**Erik and the UFO By Youalone**

* * *

All alien communication is via mental telepathy and is shown in _italics. _Please feel free to use your own imagination to picture these thought transfers or images. You can also use your own imagination to picture the details of the aircraft and the visage of the aliens.

_Chateau Mercier_

_January 1872_

Matt quietly closed the door behind him as he left Erik's room. He had checked Erik's IV bags, and made sure the fire was well stoked. He would return later on, sometime during the night, to check on Erik. Matt was feeling weary as he sleepily rubbed his eyes before heading downstairs. Perhaps he would take some food up to the tower for Russ who was pulling guard duty that night. The fresh air would do him good before he grabbed a little shut-eye himself. Matt never saw the four eyes lurking in the shadows that had been observing him as he carefully tended to Erik.

Erik and Laura were peacefully sleeping as two very unusual looking beings soundlessly moved across the room to the bed. The taller of the two stood next to the head of the bed, while the shorter one moved next to Erik's injured leg. His eyes quickly moved up and down the leg. When he had completed his initial scan of the injured leg, he looked up and indicated that even though it had been expertly stitched, the wound was very severe, too severe for them to work on here. Erik would have to be transported to the medical chamber, aboard their aircraft. This posed a big problem, well actually, several big problems because they had to take Erik without being discovered.

The first problem they had to deal with was Laura. She was semi-draped over Erik's body with her head resting on his chest over his heart. The "visitors" were simultaneously wondering what affect it would have on Erik's heart if she began snoring! Remembering that they were not here to examine that particular phenomenon, they deepened Erik and Laura's sleep so that they would not wake up. Getting Laura off of Erik was another matter. Laura's head appeared to have an unmovable death-grip on Erik's chest! After considerable exertion, they were finally able to separate the two. As they tugged Laura off Erik, they noticed the transparent, shimmering cord that connected Erik's heart to Laura's, and they understood the reason for the death-grip.

Erik was in position, ready to be transported. Now the question was…how? The medical chamber was located inside the aircraft they had arrived in, but it had already been decided it was too risky to bring the disk-shaped craft any closer, and so it remained hovering, just at the edge of this dimension. The ultra-brilliant multi-colored lights which emanated from the aircraft, made it a magnificent sight to behold, and it would also be ultra-brilliantly flashing for several miles! This was something they would not risk at this critical time. Their mission here was solely for Erik, and the last thing they wanted was to start a widespread panic. Due to the massive problems with beam interference that the very "antiquated" (to them) Time Travel Technology was experiencing, they also discarded the idea of "beaming" Erik up to their ship.

"_We could dematerialize him here and then rematerialize him there, _thought one of the alien visitors, called H1, "_but since we are operating in the physical dimension of a different universe, we cannot guarantee the results. The alteration of frequency may be too much for him. He is still very weak."_

"_Yes, _agreed his ally, H2, "_and this universe also operates under a very strange distortion known as The Uncertainty Principle which, I believe, was formed by yet another distortion known as…"_

"_Werner Heisenberg!" _vibrated H1

"_Humans are still trying to figure out whether this principle was discovered because it was already in existence, or whether it came into existence as a result of this man's declaration that it is so. What is really puzzling is the human habit of asking what something they do not understand...'has to do with the price of eggs in China'!"_

"_Very puzzling,"_ acknowledged H2_. "But now we need to focus on moving the distortion known as "Erik" to our ship, and since we cannot safely move him via our normal procedure, the only option left for us is to float him there. We will have to exit by way of the balcony which faces the back of the château."_

They quickly scanned the mansion with their eyes. The only person who was in a position to be of concern to them was pacing back and forth outside, on the tower. Fortunately, Russ was on the other side of the tower, facing the front of the house. H1 then addressed the question of what to wrap around Erik in order to keep him warm. He picked up the edge of the quilt, hesitating because it would leave Laura exposed to the cold air. As he considered this, he found the answer when the strange image of an uncoiling lasso unexpectedly appeared before him! Sensing that this was not a good sign, the now gasping H1 quickly and not very smoothly, dropped the edge of the quilt.

He decided it was in all of their best interests to find another suitable cover. He located a blue woolen blanket that was folded neatly on the settee, and when no image accompanied by a choking sensation appeared, he began to wrap the blanket around Erik. H2 had already secured the IV bags for transport with Erik, and they began to mentally lift him up and out to the balcony, also mentally closing the door behind them. H2 took his place behind Erik's head while H1 stood in front of his feet. They willed themselves to become invisible, and continued to mentally lift Erik up and over the edge of the balcony.

Russ had been up in the tower for several hours now, so he was feeling extremely tired, and his empty stomach growled in protest. He had been patrolling back and forth on the side of the tower which faced the front of the mansion. Everything was calm and quiet. Nothing unusual had taken place. He decided that it was time to walk around to the other side of the tower. He needed to be on the lookout for any intruders who might try to break into Erik's room from the side of his balcony which faced the back of the mansion. The lack of sleep was beginning to catch up with Russ and he hoped his walk to the other side of the tower would wake him up.

Just as he rounded the corner on the other side of the tower, he saw a very strange sight which convinced him he was either sleepwalking or totally losing it! He saw what appeared to be a floating body wrapped in blue, lying horizontally and suspended in the air, as it moved across the balcony! Russ shook his head several times knowing it could not possibly be…Erik. When he caught sight of the IV bags suspended above Erik's head as he floated upward, disappearing into the trees, Russ knew he had lost it completely. He slumped down along the wall and sat on the ground holding his head in his hands.

"Russ, where are you?" The familiar voice sounded like rumbling thunder to Russ. "Russ, I've been looking…what the hell happened to you?" Matt set the plate of food and the container of fresh coffee on the ledge and knelt down beside Russ.

"Oh, man! You don't want to know, Matt. I don't know what to say except that I've completely lost it!"

"Here," said Matt reaching up and retrieving the plate, "Eat your food. You need to keep your strength up. You're tired, Russ. We all are. We've all had our moments when we thought we were losing it, but none of us, without exception, has ever _lost it_ to the point of being crazy. Now just relax, and tell me what happened."

"It's Erik! He's gone! I watched him leave myself. He was floating through the air on his back and so were his IV bags! Matt, we've got to find him before Jeremy finds out!"

"Oookay," said Matt, silently wondering if one exception was enough to ruin their Team's record. "Look Russ, it's not unusual for people who are tired and hungry to sometimes have a hallucination. We're all concerned about Erik right now. I just finished checking in on him a few minutes ago, and then I grabbed some food for you and came straight up here. Erik and Laura were both sound asleep when I left. I can assure you that Erik is safely sleeping in his own bed."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Matt. It just seemed so real that for a few seconds, I thought what I was seeing was really happening, even though I knew it couldn't be."

"The imagination can be quite convincing when you're extremely tired. Are you feeling better now? Can I get you anything else?" Matt gave Russ a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder, as he stood to leave.

"No. I'm good. Thanks for bringing my food and helping me to shape up! You're a good man, Matt."

As they approached the aircraft, H1 and H2 became visible again and waited as the hatch door opened, allowing them to enter. They laid Erik on the waiting cart which had been placed by the doorway. Two of the ship's medics stepped forward and wheeled Erik back to the medical chamber where they would prepare him for treatment. As H1 and H2 stood there waiting, the ship's Commander, C1 came into view and acknowledged their arrival with a simple nod.

"_We have returned safely and without mishap." _H1 and H2 announced.

"_Not quite." _The Commander stared at the two and somehow managed to smirk at the same time. This was no easy task considering he had a straight line which served as a mouth.

"_If you are referring to the guard in the tower, we were already in transit when he came into view. We were focused on the process of moving Erik as smoothly and safely as possible, so we were not tuned into the actions of that guard. We were unaware he was moving around the tower until he unexpectedly came into our view." _

"_Exactly. In this universe you must always consider the unexpected," _stated C1.

"_The Uncertainty Principle?"_ asked H1, who was feeling a bit annoyed with Heisenberg.

"_Before this mission is finished, I suspect we will all be learning more about this principle," _replied C1. _"Your decision to continue with the transport was the correct one, and because we had the good fortune to have another principle known as Synchronicity on our side, the Team's doctor was the one who found the distressed guard. The doctor was subsequently able to diffuse the situation to our advantage, and the sanity of the guard is intact." _

As H1 and H2 were pondering over this, and wondering whether or not they really wanted to experience any more of this strange principle, a young messenger burst in and all but nailed the three of them.

"_I have been sent to inform you that the specimen…uh…the experiment…uh… the one called "Erik" has been prepared for treatment. The Superior Doctor wishes to see you both in the treatment room as soon as you have finished your debriefing with the Commander."_

After the messenger retreated, H2 rolled his eyes and blandly asked_, "New Zeta arrival?"_

"_Zeta transfer," _C1 responded_. "His progenitors became greatly disturbed by his continual use of unedifying Laboratory descriptions. This led them to discover he had indeed, been hanging around with Lab students from the lower side. They placed him in a state of "deep-freeze" suspension in his room until they could arrange for a transfer to a ship that is training a much more enlightened group of Lab students. He is currently out of suspension."_

"_So we noticed," _mumbled H1. _"The locals in this universe do seem to have their share of challenges," _he mused.

"_That is all for now. You may report to the medical chamber." _C1 turned and briskly departed.

As H1 and H2 approached the medical chamber, they found the head of the medical team waiting for them outside the door. They wondered if the treatment for Erik's leg was finished and if they were being summoned to return him to his bed in the mansion. They were mistaken.

"_Ah, there you are,"_ warmly radiated the highly evolved being. E1 was in charge of the medical chamber, and he supervised all healing procedures performed aboard the aircraft.

"_Sir, have you completed the treatment for the patient, Erik?" _H1 greeted E1 with a nod of his head "_Erik? Patient?"_ H1 felt there was a contradiction there somewhere, but he could not put his finger on it.

"_No. His treatment has not even been started. I have been here, waiting for you."_

H1 and H2 stared at each other, obviously baffled by this news.

"_Sir?"_

"_As you are both aware, you have successfully completed the technological phase of your training. You have mastered the use of our technological healing devices for humans as well as correct diagnosis, and the correct frequency settings based on the individual needs of the patient. You are now ready to graduate to the next level of your training. That is of course, after you successfully complete your final test. __Since the patient, Erik, meets all the requirements for such a test, you will both be given that test now." _There was an unmistakable air of amusement surrounding E1 as he delivered this unexpected news.

H1 and H2 followed E1 into the treatment chamber where Erik lay sleeping on the examining table. They were both wondering what could be so unusual about this patient that would make him the perfect candidate for their final test. They were aware of the fact that the final test always involved a patient whose healing would be a real challenge to the student healers, but so far, the sleeping Erik had responded as they had anticipated.

H2 raised the first inquiry about how far they needed to enter into one of the distortions of the three dimensional reality known as healing. E1 advised them to only enter into this distortion far enough to complete the actual healing. They were then admonished to avoid being personally affected by any other distortions they may encounter.

H2 retrieved a device which contained the beam that would be used to heal the leg wound. He did a quick scan of Erik's physical body, then his energy body, taking note of the colors in his surrounding aura. He then adjusted the settings on the healing device to the proper color and sound frequencies. H2 aimed the device a safe distance above the wound and pressed the button, releasing the beam of healing light.

Three pairs of eyes were glued to the wound as it began to close, and after a short time, it completely closed, leaving absolutely no evidence that Erik had ever been physically wounded. H2 turned off the beam and confidently walked away to return the device to its storage compartment. As he turned back around he was met with a very weird sight. Erik's leg had begun to move outward at the top of his upper thigh. It continued to move outward until his leg had taken on an unmistakable "T" shape! H2 could not believe what he was seeing. One look from H1 confirmed that he was also seeing this very strange and totally unexpected occurrence. H2 looked at E1 hoping that he would have an explanation.

"_You entered into the distortion of healing without completely clearing yourself of the images of all previous distortions that you have encountered while working in this universe. Perhaps you were a bit anxious over this test? You must now locate the image of the distortion which was active while you were using the healing beam," _responded E1.

H2 internally scanned his memory cells until he located the aberrant image. He finally emerged and revealed what he found. _"I was traveling in the world of distortions in a future time period. I noticed that humans were still driven to find answers to certain puzzling questions such as 'How many angels can stand on the head of a pin?_' _I saw a woman who decided that angels could, indeed, reduce themselves to the size of a pinpoint of light. She proceeded to stick a pin used for sewing, into the cover of her ironing board. Then she grabbed a handful of sewing pins and stood them point down on top of the pin head in order to determine how many it would hold."_

E1 looked at Erik's leg and then looked directly at H2. _"H2, Erik's leg is now in the shape of the earth letter known as 'T', so how could your image of the head of a pin possibly be accurate?"_

"_She was using a T-shaped quilting pin! Sir."_

H1 and H2 had never once, during their entire training program experienced anything like this, and both of them were left metaphorically scratching their heads.

"_Such an image would not have this affect on a normal human being, but I can assure you, Erik is not exactly a normal human," _explained E1with a chuckle.

Another sudden and unbidden image popped into view, causing H2 to wonder if that new young Zeta Gray transfer had ever gotten a hold of Erik and messed around with his DNA! After all, the Zeta Gray and his former Lab cohorts were known for playing pranks when studying humans."

The door slid open and a radiant female being entered, carrying a portable machine she used for researching information. She placed it on a nearby table and seating herself in front of it, began to bring up various holographic images. E1 walked over to her. With a great amount of warmth and intimacy, he greeted his lovely life-mate, lighting them both up. He watched her work for a few minutes and nodded his approval.

E1 returned to the examining table and instructed H2 to pick up another device and adjust the settings on it. This device would completely undo the results of the healing light beam. They would have to start all over again. H2 aimed the device at Erik's leg and the healing work was totally erased. He found himself once again, looking down at Erik's severely wounded thigh.

E1 moved over and picked up the healing device and handed it to H1, who immediately began to search himself internally for any distortions other than the one of healing. Feeling he was clear and able to proceed, he made a slight adjustment to the color frequency settings on the healing device. He then did as H2 had done and held the device a safe distance above Erik's leg and aimed it at the wound on his thigh. He pressed the button which released the healing beam and once again…Erik's wound closed leaving no trace of an injury at all. H1 was not searching Erik's mind. He was clearing his own mind so that he would not inadvertently cause a reaction to occur, like the one H2 had caused.

They all stood there and waited to be sure his leg did not change its shape. After a few minutes they could see it was not going to change shape. They could also see that the color of the leg was changing into an interesting shade of light blue! The color continued to increase in intensity and the color deepened until Erik's entire leg was a brilliant, glowing, and rather solid-looking…sapphire blue!

A dumfounded H1 stared at the rebellious leg, wondering how he had managed to accomplish such a feat. He had only made a slight adjustment to the ray of blue in the healing beam, which was something they frequently did. _"What happened? Erik's leg looks more like an elaborate setting in one of those decorations humans refer to as a necklace! Are you sure he is a human?"_

E1 was rolling with laughter. _"While it is true that his own beloved life- mate considers him to be the jewel of her life and all she will ever need, there is no need for him to be literally manifested as such. My current perception is that she currently prefers him as a male human!" _He knew that H1 had successfully cleared all of his own images and thoughts, and would need to look elsewhere for his answer, so he suggested that H1 needed to find another explanation.

H1 stared directly at Erik and retorted, _"I believe we are looking at the actual physical incarnation of The Uncertainty Principle!"_

E1 chuckled and noted that H1 might not be too far off. He told H1 that his healing attempt would have to be reversed. Once again, they were back to square one, looking down at Erik's wound.

"_H1, let us analyze what happened. As noted, adjusting the color setting on the device to increase the strength of that color in the aura of a human is a common practice and, in most humans, there are no side effects. But, as I have already said, Erik is not like most humans. He is human, but he is a bit more than human. You see, Erik has tapped into the source of certain abilities…abilities which lie latent and are rarely tapped into by humans who are living in his time period. Those who do tap into these latent powers carry a higher set of frequencies in their energy bodies causing them to be far more sensitive to the thoughts and actions of others." _E1 paused to make sure that H1 and H2 were beginning to understand what they were dealing with.

H1 was still puzzled by the fact that Erik was not awake when this happened, and concluded that he must have somehow made an error in the settings. _"I understand, but Erik is asleep! All I did was to strengthen the color which was predominant in his aura at the time. I still don't understand why Erik's leg reacted in this manner." _

E1 looked at H1 with both a compassionate and somewhat amused air about him. _"That is because you failed to take one thing into account. The reaction of his energy body!_

_His energy body is more developed than most in his era are, and when it saw that brilliant complementary light, it grabbed onto it and began to rapidly absorb it…to the point of affecting the physical limb where the light was at its weakest. In other words, Erik's energy body got excited and wound up having the astral time of its life! "_

"_He must have been on a real astral high, to cause that reaction in his leg," _mused H1._ "So what do we do now and, more importantly, what will happen to Erik?"_

"_You have both done all you can do at this point. In fact, the whole point of this final test was to demonstrate that we are all subject to the influences that pervade this universe. Under this influence our own mind takes our experiences and places them in different compartments within us, only to release them when we least expect it. These influences can also keep us glued to what we think we are seeing, thereby preventing us from noticing what else is happening around us. That is what makes this universe such a useful training ground, especially for those humans who physically live in the third dimension." _

"_At home in our own universe, we are able to see all things at once. We have never known anything else. Things like this do not happen there. We had no idea such strange forces even existed," _thought H2_._

"_The frequencies in our universe are much higher and the forces here cannot tolerate them. These forces are much denser in nature. You have now entered so deeply into the distortion of healing that you are worried about Erik, and are now questioning the idea that Erik can be healed at all! It would appear that both of you have yet to realize just how strongly attracted you are to these mysterious forces," _E1 suggested with an air of knowing about him. _"You have become fascinated with them._ _Now the most efficient way to gain knowledge about the mysteries of this universe and the planet Earth is, of course, to incarnate as a human. Perhaps at some point, you will consider that option."_

H1 and H2 looked at each other, both feeling they had already experienced more than enough of this strange phenomenon. Quite emphatically they began to shake their heads "no," much to the amusement of E1.

"_Why not? I did."_

"_And so did I," _volunteered the radiant female entity who moved to stand next to E1.

"_You both…when…how…why? Were you together then?" _H1 and H2 were astounded by this revelation.

"_We are one. How could we have not been together? It has always been so, for us. Your questions of when and how are a result of being in this dimension." _E1 turned to face his beautiful radiant counterpart and together they began to emit a single beam of pure unadulterated love which shattered the power of distortion that had overtaken H1 and H2. Everything and everyone in the room began to shimmer and wave. What had been solid a moment ago was no longer solid…and yet it was. H1 and H2 perceived this must certainly be one of the great mysteries of this universe. In their own universe back home, energy was always perceived directly.

Suddenly H1 and H2 were given a glimpse of what humans experience when they discover that not only are things solid but simultaneously not solid in this universe, but that they also have the ability to switch back and forth between the two perceptions and be fully functional in either one. For just a brief moment, they were able to view this through the eyes of a human, and the sense of awe and wonder that humans feel was something they would not soon forget.

E1 quickly returned everyone to the perception of their current mission for Erik as he said, _"I believe it is time to leave the distortion of healing behind." _With that, he stepped back and pointed his finger directly above the wound on Erik's leg. A glorious golden colored beam of healing light extended outward from the tip of his finger and touched the wound, healing it instantly. All traces of his injury were gone, and only a soft golden glow emanating from Erik's leg remained visible.

H2 quickly reached for the device that would reverse the healing, but E1 stopped him. _"It will fade," _he explained as he gazed affectionately at his inquiring student.

They quickly set about preparing Erik for the return trip. His leg was re-bandaged for the sake of those who had access to Erik's bedroom. His doctor would most likely be the first to discover his "miraculous" healing, but it would be up to Erik to reveal or not reveal it to the others in the household. As they all stood around Erik, H1 and H2 were reflecting on their sense of relief that this healing was finally complete, and they no longer needed to worry about the occurrence of unexpected events. That thought had just barely slipped out when…

Erik woke up!

Five sets of eyes were engaged in the time-honored tradition of shocked staring. Well, four sets were…the fifth set was fiercely glaring!

Erik was not sure what he was seeing, but he was convinced that he had awakened in another one of his weird dreams. As his fuzzy vision began to clear, he began to slowly move his head from one side to the other. It suddenly occurred to him his eyes were open, and he really was awake. He had no idea where he was or who these strange looking beings were, so his first thought was to find a weapon to defend himself. Right on cue…a coiled lasso suddenly appeared in the air. The lasso uncoiled itself as it flew through the air with deadly precision. Erik reached out to grab the loose end so he could tighten the noose, but was unable to reach it. Fortunately, he had overshot his mental mark. Unfortunately, the noose landed neatly around H1's neck.

"_What is that thing anyway?" _H1 jumped back out of the way as he squeaked out his thought. He was remembering his own vision of a coiled rope in Erik's bedroom.

"_It's a very antiquated method of extinction referred to as a Punjab Lasso," _responded E1. _"I will dispense with the details now but rest assured, it is quite effective and, as you can see…still in working order." _

As Erik slumped back down on the table in defeat, E1 waved his hand and dissolved the distortion known as the Punjab Lasso. There was an unmistakable smirk emanating from him as he faced his dumbfounded patient.

"Who or perhaps I should say, what are you…and more importantly…what is my person doing here?" Erik tried his best to growl, when all he really wanted to do was to go home to his own bed. An image of Laura suddenly popped into view.

"_You fear that you have been brought here for some nefarious purpose. You have not. I am the one who is in charge of this medical chamber in which you now find yourself. You may address me as E1. By all means, feel free to take an inventory and see how many of your body parts are missing." _

Erik wasn't sure he wanted to know. He started with his feet and worked his way up, noticing that the bandage was still on his leg, right where it should be. For some reason that made Erik nervous. He decided it might be in his best interest to ignore that for now. Continuing on up his body, he noticed that every part was intact, and nothing was missing. Almost. "WHERE IN THE HELL IS MY MASK?"

Convinced that a big cosmic "oops" had occurred, H1 and H2 quickly ducked behind a heavy metal cabinet. Erik's rage was "frying" them! H2 peeked around the corner long enough to state that the mask was back in his bedroom at the château where Erik himself had removed it. They were both amazed that Erik counted this mask as part of his inventory, and wondered if he actually considered it a body part! H2 went on to explain they had seen no reason to bring it along since it had nothing to do with Erik's leg.

"My leg? You brought me here to this, this…place, because of my leg?" The uneasy feeling Erik had while doing his inventory returned, and he wondered what they could possibly want with his leg.

E1 quietly and with a great deal of compassion, revealed to Erik the details of his arrival here, and gently told him they had responded to a request to heal his severely injured leg…an injury that had placed his life in danger. E1 assured him the healing had indeed taken place. He decided it was best not to mention all of the interesting side effects that occurred during the process.

Erik was dumbfounded. As he focused on his leg, he noticed the pain was indeed gone, and he could freely move the limb without restriction. The one thing that bothered him though, was the idea that someone had the audacity to request a healing from a group of ETs…without consulting him first! He knew that The Program was a powerful organization with powerful connections, but who in that organization could possibly have a connection this powerful? An image of Admiral Brooks flashed into Erik's questioning mind. Erik had to know who was responsible for this personal violation no matter how well-intended, because he certainly hadn't requested it.

"_There are many ways which we receive requests for help. Healing is not the only form of assistance that we are here to give," _continued E1._ "In your case, there were a number of appeals for a successful recovery for you which were transmitted on your behalf, and subsequently came into our perception. Your thought that there was a specific individual who approached us directly and requested your healing is also correct, but your mental image of that individual is not correct. The correct image would be an image of you, Erik."_

"You are saying I requested my own healing? Perhaps I did not make myself clear! I most certainly did not request anything of you, much less seek you out. I do not even know you!" Erik was now engaging the distorted speech pattern known as sputtering.

"_Oh, but you did," _responded E1 with a very clear air of certainty. _Once you realized that you have very important reasons to live, your own Spirit, the real you, who knows exactly who we are and why we are here, appeared to me, and requested this healing. Your mind is not aware of this because you were barely conscious at the time. As you know, you have an important mission to fulfill while you live on the planet Earth, both personally and, for the benefit of the world. Right now, the most compelling reason for you to seek out your own healing is your overpowering love for your life-mate, the one you call 'Laura'. You are one. She is as much a part of your mission as you are. It cannot be otherwise."_

Sensing that the healers were now preparing to return Erik to his own home, E1's own mission partner and life-mate closed her holographic research machine and came to join the others, before departing to her own work chamber. Erik looked at the beautiful, radiant being that now stood at his side and felt that there was something very familiar about her. Then he observed E1 and she were both radiating the exact same energy. This was beyond his ability to understand, since it flowed from them in the form of one singular energy that surrounded and engulfed them both. There was no separation. Erik felt he had been given a very brief glimpse of what E1 was trying to convey to him. He truly hoped this same energy existed for him and Laura. He knew they both felt a profound connection. Perhaps one day it would become as pure and brilliant as the one he was now witnessing. Erik felt a sense of being blessed and privileged, to have seen for himself that such a "oneness" is far more than just a metaphor for sharing a very deep, profound love.

E1 waved the experience away. He noticed that Erik was a bit unnerved by the portable machine she was holding. _"There is no need for concern. My wife, as you term it, uses this machine to conduct her research. She gathers information from many different places and slots of time. She then organizes it, so that it can be easily accessed whenever it is needed. We transmit the information, seeding it where it is most needed on the planet Earth. At this time, we are seeding information in your own era, primarily in the area you call France. What humans do with this information is entirely up to them. We would hope such information would be used for the good of all, but this is a free-will universe and we are certainly not dictators. Now I will be more specific. We have a special interest in the project of the group of humans called The Program. The outcome of this project will not only affect the future in this dimension, but it will affect several other dimensions as well. At times we will be seeding information for the use of the Team members who are actively involved in this project. They will not be aware of where this information originated from and of course, how or if they decide to use this information will be left entirely up to them. Since you are the one at the center of this project, this includes you as well. You have all been developing your sense of intuition. Some of you more so than others, but we would prefer all of you learn to trust and use that most valuable asset as it can feed you information more readily than we can. We will be happy to assist you in any other particular way you wish, but you must ask for this type of assistance."_

Erik was rendered not only speechless but thoughtless as well. He was content just to bask in all he had seen and heard. A sudden wave of sadness came over him, and he finally spoke. "I am not going to remember any of this, am I?"

"_We are not going to erase your memory, Erik. You will remember as much or as little of this encounter as you choose to remember. Your memories will all be there, waiting for you to retrieve them whenever you choose. We must now depart and return you to your own home."_

E1 decided to accompany them on the return transport, in case a diversion was needed to distract someone in the household from interrupting them in Erik's bedroom. The trip back would be faster, and E1 would surround them with a shield constructed with frequencies Erik could safely tolerate, so he would not be seen. Erik was allowed to walk with them from the medical chamber to the door they would exit the aircraft. As they made their way through the ship, Erik soaked up as many of the details as possible and committed them to his photographic memory. He did not want to forget any of this. He returned the warm, friendly greeting of each alien being he encountered, carefully memorizing the different features of each one. He noticed there were beings from many different alien races aboard this ship, and that all of them were either trained or being trained to assist those who are living on the planet Earth.

As they approached the exit door, he was surprised to see that the three healers had suddenly shape shifted into human beings. He noticed E1 still had an air of beautiful eloquence and a sense of majesty about him. Just then, a small young gray figure zipped by, mentally shrieking something about a human specimen escaping and making it to the exit door. A strong arm reached out of a doorway as he was zooming past, and quickly yanked him inside the Laboratory. Erik paid no attention to this. He was too busy wondering what E1 would look like dressed in a tux.

The hatch door opened and the four of them stepped out into the waiting sky. Erik tried his best to grasp the fact that he was actually standing upright in the sky. He looked around and beheld the glory of the heavens which he had always loved from a distance. He wondered who was behind the birth of such magnificence. "Do you believe in God?" Erik could not believe he actually asked that question. God was a term used by humans when referring to the One that was everywhere, unseen, and could not be described.

His three new space friends understood and quietly responded. _"Yes."_

Erik took one last, longing look at the radiant aircraft and promised himself he would never forget.

Matt entered the hidden communication room, and quietly closed the door. He set two cups of coffee down and walked over to Marek, who had apparently dozed off. The Scotsman knew it was now necessary to keep a very close watch on their hidden room. They could not take the chance that someone working for the PTB would find its location. Besides, it gave Marek a chance to sit and imagine he was receiving a communication from STARLab telling him all was well, and he could safely be transported home, to his own beloved wife. God, how he missed her.

Matt hesitated to wake Marek up, but he was already coming out of his brief snooze.

"I didn't mean to wake you up," said Matt. "I thought you might need a cup of coffee." Matt did not even try to hide his smirk.

"I'm no' noticin' you and the others turnin' it down as o' late."

"You're right, Marek. It's been very difficult trying to keep ourselves awake and alert with little to no sleep."

They quietly sat, drinking their coffee and staring at the silent communication system, both of them thinking how surreal it was, and neither one of them wanting to believe it.

"I need to check on Erik now. Why don't you take a few minutes to stretch your legs and join me," suggested Matt.

"Aye, Matt, they could use a bit o' stretchin'. I believe I'll take you up on tha' offer."

They were just about to leave when they were stopped by a sudden squawking noise which seemed to be coming from the non-active communication system. They wasted no time as they began checking around to see if anything had been tampered with.

They knew there were only two sources this sound could have come from. STARLab checking something out, which was unlikely, or somehow the PTB was trying to hack into it. Or…

"_ET phone home." _

"What the hell? It sounded like…no, it canno' possibly be tha'! The system is no' set up for sound! Where on earth did tha' come from? This must be some code created by the PTB!"

"I heard the same thing you did. Maybe they're trying to make us think we're going crazy." Matt chuckled at the thought of using that particular transmission as a code, as though no one would catch on. Then he suddenly remembered Russ' experience. "Marek, are you sure that the PTB is sending this transmission?"

"No, of course I canno' be sure who is sending it, but STARLab is no' likely to send any transmission now, let alone one usin' a code that we are no' aware of and sending an audio transmission. I'm thinkin' we should try to decode it."

"Well, I can't think of anyone here with the initials E. T. So what do you suppose that means?"

"Perhaps they are no' initials. Maybe they are sayin' that someone with the code name of 'E' is supposed ta phone home, meanin' their headquarters."

It suddenly occurred to Matt that there might be more than one of them. "E2 phone home," he mused.

"Tha's what I said, E ta phone home."

"I feel like we are going around in circles here. That voice sounded very unusual, but it's just like the PTB to pull something like this, so they can laugh at us and rub our noses in it later," grumbled Matt.

Marek suddenly straightened up and said, "You just might be onta somethin', Matt. While we are busy tryin' ta unscramble this transmission, they could be carryin' out their own plan right under our noses. I think this was intended to be a diversion, not a message for or about anyone havin' the letter 'E' as a code name or as part of a real name unless…"

"Erik!" They responded in unison as they jumped up.

"We know they are tryin' to get to Erik," said Marek as he headed for the door.

"Marek," mused Matt as he followed him out the door. "Have you ever wondered if maybe you had just taken the 'blue' pill life would have been more simple?"

Erik was now back in his bed, with the blue blanket folded and neatly placed back on the settee. He looked lovingly at his beautiful wife sleeping peacefully next to him, and he felt a surge of overwhelming love for her. He looked back at his three alien friends and wanted to thank them for what they had done for him, but something was nagging at him, and he would not rest until it was addressed.

The problem was, he did not want to risk waking Laura up by verbalizing his question.

"_Erik, it is not necessary for you to speak. Have you not noticed that we do not verbally speak? Verbalize your communication mentally, or form a mental picture of it, and we will respond to it," _said E1._ "If you will recall, you are not exactly ignorant of this form of communication," _he added with a smirk.

Erik groaned in response to that truthful observation, and carefully began to construct his silent communication. _There is no doubt you possess great healing abilities, but if you are such powerful healers, then why did you not heal this?" _Erik's hand had moved up, and he was angrily pointing at the deformity located on the right side of his face.

H1 and H2 looked at each other and, not wanting to experience any more incidents that fall under the category of "uncertainty"…especially where Erik was concerned…they turned to their mentor, wondering how he would respond to this latest outburst from a man who had somehow managed to give a whole new meaning to the term "high strangeness."

"_It is not part of our mission to heal this particular distortion. You have the ability to heal it yourself, but you do not understand that. Perhaps one day you will. Those who do not consider your face to be an obstacle in their relationship with you, offer you a great gift. Perhaps one day, they will not even be able to see this distortion when they look at you." _Erik caught a glimpse of the brief, far away look of pain in E1's eyes as he responded. He knew then that E1 understood.

"_And just why do you think that is possible?" _Erik slowly lowered his hand until it rested on the bed, but he was still agitated.

"_Because we do not see it." _

"_Well, I do not see how I can possibly heal this. My name is Erik... but I am certainly no E1" _

"_You are E2."_

Erik looked at the smiling E1, and he had to admit that he considered it an honor to be called E, too. He was also glad he would probably never have to explain this to anyone. He looked at his three healers and thanked them profusely for healing his leg.

"_You healed yourself, Erik. I know you do not understand now, but one day you will. We must leave now. Your doctor and Mr. Marek have resolved a small...shall we say… distraction, and are now on their way up here, to determine your well-being. Before we leave, I have one another thing to suggest. You must learn how to control your energy body. It has a mind of its own, which it will undoubtedly continue to use until you bring it under your conscious control."_

Erik nodded and noticed he did not really want them to leave, and he sadly wondered if he would ever see them again…at least in this lifetime. He said good-bye and once again thanked each of them for all they had done for him. He looked at E1 and felt a tug in his heart as he asked him, "_Your wife, what is her name?" _Erik was suddenly feeling very drowsy and the last communication he received before he fell asleep was the soft answer that came from E1 as they silently stepped back into the shadows.

"Her name is L1."

Matt and Marek kicked the door to Erik's room open, and entered with their weapons in their hands. Once they had determined no one was in the room save Erik and Laura, they put their weapons away and approached the bed, finding them both sleeping soundly. The only thing that seemed a bit out of place was the fact that Laura was not draped over Erik's chest.

"Thank God," whispered Matt.

Marek nodded his head in agreement and breathed a sigh of relief, as Matt walked over to check the IV bags. He saw he would not need to replace them until morning, but there was something amiss about the way they were hanging. It was then Matt noticed the needles had been removed from Erik's arm. He gave Marek an alarmed look and gestured to him that he would not risk using them again because they might have been tampered with. He considered the possibility that Erik may have inadvertently pulled them out but until they knew for sure, he would have to use new bags.

He quickly pulled the quilt down to make sure everything was alright with Erik's wound. That was when they saw a soft golden glow emanating from Erik's leg. Their eyes flew wide open, and they stared at each other wearing their best look of "What the hell?" Marek was not sure whether Matt should remove the bandage or not, and Matt was not sure he wanted to. He very gently put his hand on top of the bandage and held his breath. When nothing unusual happened to him…like being struck dead, he slowly began to unwrap the bandage. They were not sure what to expect, but finding Erik's leg completely healed was not it. They realized that some sort of miracle had taken place…either that, or they had both somehow tuned into the same channel on the "losing it" network.

The next problem they had to deal with was how to explain all this to Erik. Since Matt and Marek were also familiar with Erik's attachment to the "Uncertainty Principle", it was quickly decided to bandage the leg again and pull the quilt up…to his neck. They needed some time to work on that one. If it weren't for that golden glow, they wouldn't be so concerned. What if Erik had to walk around with a golden leg for the rest of his life? Matt didn't even want to think about Erik's reaction to that. He suddenly felt very helpless. How was he ever going to explain this to Laura?

"_It will fade." _He didn't know where that came from, but somehow he felt it was true. Why couldn't things be simpler? Why couldn't they just rejoice in Erik's miraculous healing, without having to worry about everyone's reaction, particularly Erik's, to that darned unexplainable glow?

Marek nodded to Matt and inclined his head towards the door, indicating that they should leave before they accidentally woke Erik up. Then Laura suddenly rolled over, resting her head on Erik's chest, which had, as of late, become her pillow. Marek silently wondered when she would start fluffing him up first.

"Don't worry my love, it doesn't matter," Laura began mumbling into Erik's chest. "I will always love you, even if your leg turns sapphire blue."

Marek and Matt quietly left the room. They suddenly felt the need to go somewhere else to count all their marbles. This was definitely not the place. Maybe they would join Russ on the tower.

Somewhere at the edge of the universe, a disk-shaped aircraft was pulling up, out of the third dimension and into the fourth. They would remain there and continue their mission, watching over and assisting the progress of the Project's plan in 19th Century France. Those aboard the aircraft were pleased that perhaps, for at least one person, their aircraft would always be a KFO instead of a UFO.

The End ?


	2. Chapter 2

This is the story I said would be posted on the Epic Case's Intermezzo thread! Youalone is a long-time fan of The Epic Case, and she is a member of our private forum, Erik's Korner. (If you are interested in joining, just contact me!) She has written for that forum a number of humorous take-offs of our story. The thought of Erik's mother sending for Christine and Raoul to come and meet their "long lost" elder brother, set her mind spinning in her unique, hilarious manner! So, in this parallel universe of hers, Christine and Raoul are preparing for their trip to Spain. It is a version you won't find in the Epic Case, but it is a version that you won't want to miss!! Enjoy! _Phanfan_

* * *

**The EPIC CASE, Intermezzo: The Letter, _by Youalone_**

_Paris, France_

The cleaning maid glanced up from what seemed to be a never ending job of polishing in the DeChagny mansion. And that was just one room. She watched as the new Comtesse swept down the stairwell into the foyer. The Comtesse did a lot of elegant sweeping in and out of the rooms that filled the large home and the maids dearly loved her for it. It made their job of sweeping the floors a whole lot easier.

Christine arrived as the butler was sorting the morning mail. He always delivered the Comte's mail so that pile was set aside. Christine was hoping for a letter from Antoinette or Meg, so she lingered to see if there was a letter for her. She noticed the stack of mail for Raoul. On top was a letter bearing the seal of his mother. She knew Raoul was still in his study. Surely he would want to read his mother's letter before leaving the house for the day. She impulsively grabbed it and turned, nearly colliding with the butler. Unfortunately, he also turned to pick up the stack of mail for Raoul.

"Comtesse, there is no need for you to carry that letter separately as I am taking the…rest of the Comte's mail into the study now," he said holding up the rest of the stack.

"I know, but my husband will want to read this immediately," she said as she scurried down the hallway leading to Raoul's study.

The butler just shook his head and muttered, "And she was doing so well," as he quickly followed her.

A surprised Raoul ushered Christine into his study. She handed him his mother's letter, a double surprise. He was even more surprised when seconds later the butler came in wearing a blank look on his face and handed him more mail. Soon all three of their faces were adorned with the same blank look. The butler was wondering if another visit from Raoul's aunt might be in order. As he left he could hear Raoul's voice calmly reminding Christine that the duties of a Comtesse do not include delivering mail. He wondered if the Comte would ever notice who really swept the floors.

"I'm sorry Raoul but I thought you would want to read your mother's letter as soon as it arrived." Christine gave him her most innocent look and prattled on about which of them would be expected to respond to her mother-in-law's letter.

"Christine my dear, trust me. Now is not the time to worry about such matters."

"Of course, Raoul. You are very smart but how did you know that now is not…"

"Because I have yet to open the letter," Raoul calmly said knowing full well that this response would earn him another blank stare. He opened the letter and wisely read it in silence. His face suddenly paled. He was in a state of shock. "Now is the time, Christine," he sputtered almost incoherently.

"What? Raoul, you're scaring me. What's wrong? Is your mother alright?" Christine squeaked.

"Yes, she is fine," he stammered, "but we must make preparations to leave for my mother's estate immediately."

"Raoul, please tell me. What is going on?"

"My mother has informed me that I have a brother who has come back from the dead. At least everyone thought he was dead or something like that," he mumbled. "She wants us to visit her so we can meet him. There is no time to explain what I don't understand myself. Please go upstairs and get your things packed. We leave at dawn."

"But Raoul, it's only morning now. I have the whole day to pack."

Raoul snapped out of his daze long enough to look upward and roll his eyes.

"My dresses have all been cleaned, and I have hundreds to choose from," she sighed.

Raoul looked up and rolled his eyes in the other direction. Christine found her herself wondering what would happen if he rolled his eyes forward and backward.

As she pondered over which dresses she would take, the full impact of what Raoul said suddenly hit her. "Raoul, if Philippe has come back from the dead, does that mean that you won't be the Comte any more?"

With a wary look he stuttered, "Christine, that's…that's not what I...Philippe is…"

"But Raoul," she interrupted, "sometimes you think people are dead but they aren't, and they come back." She was thinking of Erik, but she would never tell that to Raoul.

_But this is not Philippe coming back from the dead, _Raoul thought to himself. _The letter says the first-born son, who was thought to be dead, somehow survived. My God! How did they get THAT wrong? How could this have happened? And Christine didn't allow me finish what I way saying. I hate it when she does that! _"My dear, I don't know what is going on in that pretty little head of yours, but there is no time to discuss it now. You are right about one thing. As the youngest son, my title as the Comte DeChagny is very much in danger. Please do as I say and begin packing for our trip. At all costs, I must make sure that my title and inheritance are secure."

"Of course, Raoul. As always, you are right."

Raoul just nodded. His wife still had trouble accepting the finality of death. He would have to deal with that before she said something unthinkable in front of his mother. He just couldn't deal with it now. "Good. I will see that your maid is sent for immediately."

"Thank you, Raoul. You must do all that you can to secure your titles. _Our_ titles." She left desperately wondering if she was no longer Comtesse, would she have to leave all of her beautiful dresses in Spain?

Raoul summoned the butler and instructed him to prepare everything they would need to make the trip along with an extra wagon for Christine's trunks. And no, he had no idea how many trunks she would have. The butler took note of the wince on Raoul's face. He told the butler to locate Christine's maid and send her to the study as he wished to speak with her _before_ she went upstairs to help Christine with her packing.

The butler quickly departed in search of Christine's maid. Passing the stairwell, he noticed the back of the Comtesse's gown as it swept the hallway at the top of the stairs. He remembered how pleased the Comte had been on the day she finally figured out which way to turn when she reached the top of the staircase.

Having finished his meeting with the staff, the butler headed for the study to inform the Comte that his carriage was awaiting him. As he turned down the hallway he noticed Christine's maid coming out of the study. She had somehow managed to close the door behind her while making a sign of the cross on the front of her at the same time.

In her room Christine paused for a few moments before commencing with the task of selecting the dresses she would take on this unexpected trip. She just knew that somehow Philippe had come back from the dead, after all _Erik did_. And, according to the paper, Erik was buried underneath the opera house after being executed. His body had been positively identified. Newspapers didn't lie about such things. She didn't know how, but somehow…he had come back! Madame Giry had never explained to her how he did that. _And I never thought to ask. __But if Erik could do it then why not Philippe?_

Christine snapped out of her reverie and opened the huge armoire which held the dresses she needed to pack. She thought it would be easier to have the servants just load the armoire onto the wagon. Her maid entered the room thinking the same thing.

"We will begin with the morning dresses," Christine said to her maid. She chose dresses in darker colors. That would impress the Contessa. She handed the dresses to the maid to pack, pleased that she was doing her part so they wouldn't lose everything to Raoul's formerly dead brother. The dark colors reminded her of Erik. She brushed away a few tears. But, her duty was to Raoul now. "Unpack those dresses," she ordered. Then she selected several dresses in Raoul's favorite colors, telling the maid to bring the blue ones…or was it red? Christine could never be sure.

The maid had just finished packing them when Christine emitted a loud gasp. She had completely forgotten about impressing the Contessa! She simply had to include a few dark dresses. Her thoughts wandered back to Raoul_. He_ _appeared to be surprised at what I said about Philippe. I guess he was afraid I was_ _confusing Philippe with my beloved father_, _but I couldn't tell him that I was thinking about__Erik. __I know Raoul. He will never accept that Philippe has truly come back until he sees it for himself. It must be Philippe. Who else? _Christine absentmindedly ran her hand over the dress she was holding. It reminded her of Erik's dark green cravat. Or was it his vest?

_I suppose there is a small chance that it is not Philippe who has come back, but that could be even worse. What if this brother__has a wife?_ Now Christine was faced with a new dilemma. She simply had to outdo this potential female intruder. With newly acquired fervor, she pulled the dark dresses back out of the armoire and handed them to the maid, who stared at her as if Christine had lost her wits.

Christine looked over her afternoon tea dresses. _No intruding wife of a formerly dead brother is going to take my place! Not if I can help it!_ A maid interrupted them and announced lunch. Where had the time gone? It was lunch time and she had only managed to get her morning dresses packed. _Because of my thinking_. She had to stop, but how? _Of course! How silly of me! There is no other brother! The Contessa would know if she had given birth to a dead son. He_ _probably didn't survive that, so it has to be Philippe... which means there is no wife for me to worry about! _

Christine dismissed her maid and made her way to the top of the stairwell where she once again swept her way down the stairs.

Indeed, she swept her way into the dining room hoping to find Raoul, but he was nowhere in sight. She finally concluded that he was not there.

She wondered if everyone who was dead knew how to come back to life. _I thought my father did, but I was wrong… wasn't I? Perhaps only some dead people know how to do that.__ Erik knows how and apparently so does Philippe. They must be connected somehow since they both know how to come back. Did Erik teach him that? Perhaps they wound up in the same place when they died. Erik always said he would be going to hell. __That means that Philippe must have ended up there, too. No, that can't be, because Erik has always been my angel, even if he is a man. Well, wherever they were, Erik must have taught Philippe how to come back._ Christine hurriedly finished her meal. There were still several categories of dresses to sort through and it was nearly 1:00.

Back in her rooms, Christine was going through her afternoon dresses when the maid informed her that the trunk was full. They were already on the second trunk and it had taken the better part of an hour to get the first one closed. The exhausted maid had repacked and refolded the dresses, trying to make them fit. It took both of them to push the lid down far enough to get the trunk shut. Christine looked at the dresses she had selected and realized she couldn't take them all. The afternoon was rapidly slipping away. She was having a difficult time making up her mind, so she told the maid to unpack some of the dresses in the first trunk so she could see what was there. The poor maid was ready to cry as she began dragging the dresses out of the trunk.

Christine was exhausted and soon her thoughts began to wander. She felt certain that Erik had been the one to teach Philippe how to come back from the dead, but there was always the chance that something else occurred. She couldn't imagine Philippe wanting to learn anything from Erik. _What if they got into a fight instead? Couldn't that be risky? I mean Spirits aren't solid. What if their Spirits got entangled? That would be horrible! Although it does explain why Erik couldn't take his eyes off me when I sang to him at the Bal Masque, then looked coldly at me a he was leaving the mansion. And why he didn't come for me. Of course! It's all Philippe's fault! Erik should have never gotten mixed up with Philippe's Spirit! _

"Comtesse." The maid's voice brought Christine back to the present. The job of selecting, packing, then repacking had taken all afternoon. Her maid's clothing was now in a state of complete dishevelment. Her hair had come undone in places and thick strands of wild looking, frizzy hair damp with sweat were hanging loose around her face. They closed another trunk, and Christine began sorting through her evening gowns.

Raoul had returned home hours ago, having finished his own preparations for the trip. He was pacing back and forth outside the dining room. A maid had been sent upstairs to announce dinner. That was 20 minutes ago. Where was Christine?

The butler was in the kitchen when Christine's maid stumbled through the door looking like she just escaped from an insane asylum. By now her eyes looked as wild as her hair. "I take it the Comtesse has now joined her husband in the dining room?" the concerned butler queried.

"No," she wailed. "Sh…she sent me down to re…re…quest that her di…di…nner be b…b…rought upstairs to her. Would you p…please inform the C…Comte?"

The butler patted her on the shoulder and said, "Of course."

Raoul asked another maid to assist his wife and headed upstairs. As he opened the door he was greeted by the sight of evening gowns piled all over the bed. And there, in the middle lay his Christine…sound asleep. Raoul told the maid to _very quietly _remove the dresses from the bed, pack what would fit in the open trunk and hang the rest up. He then returned to his study and locked the case with his valuable documents. Once that was done, he sat down and poured himself a stiff drink.

Christine was awakened by her sleepy husband at 2 a.m. but all she wanted was to go back to sleep. Raoul felt the same way, but as he rolled back over, an image of a train pulling away from the station without them crossed his mind. That was all he needed to jolt awake. He saw to it that Christine was up before her maid arrived. Then Raoul grabbed his own luggage and went downstairs to sleep in his study while she got dressed.

Christine began to look for the dress she wanted to wear today, but she couldn't find it anywhere. "Where's my dress? I hope it was not mistakenly packed with the others." The maid's face paled as she realized that if she didn't come up with something fast, she was doomed. "Comtesse," she said looking in the armoire, "Have I mentioned to you how exceptionally elegant you look when you are wearing this dress?" She reached in and grabbed the nearest dress suitable for travel and held it up for her. "You will surely be the envy of all."

Pleased that the problem was resolved without having to unpack any trunks, Christine informed her maid that she was now ready to get dressed. Truth be told, it was really the maid who was pleased.

Raoul was now awake and pacing back and forth in the foyer. It had been over four hours and they barely had time to eat breakfast before they had to leave. Where was Christine? Raoul was fuming by now. What irked him even more was the fleeting thought that perhaps, God forbid, he had actually done the Phantom a favor by rescuing Christine! Raoul ordered the chef to prepare things that could be eaten quickly. There were slices of fresh fruit, eggs and hot tea along with croissants and fruit-filled pastries which they could eat on their way to the train station, if necessary. Raoul knew it would be necessary.

Finally, Christine appeared at the top of the staircase, every bit the elegant Comtesse. Raoul could only stand there admiring his beautiful wife as she swept down the stairs.

They sat down to eat their breakfast. Christine was a slow eater. Raoul discerned that she was the only person in the world who had trouble deciding between two different mouthfuls of the same food! She agreed to have her pastries wrapped to take with her.

The trunks had been loaded hours ago and the few maids and servants that would accompany them on the trip were already seated in their carriages. Raoul went out and ordered the drivers to take their places. The only thing missing was Christine.

Raoul impatiently returned to the dining room. Christine was still there. She took the wrapped pastries from the serving maid, smiling when she saw Raoul. She followed him out, taking a few fallen crumbs with her as she swept out of the room.

Christine settled back in the carriage and took out one of the fruit pastries, biting into it. Raoul had told the coachmen to drive as fast as they were able. The bouncing of the speeding carriage caused Christine to drop her half eaten tart which landed on her dress. As she reached down she could see the fruit filling had caused a mess on the front. She was mortified. "Raoul I can't be seen with food spilled on the front of my dress!" Raoul tried to calm her as he handed her his handkerchief. Christine cleaned it off the best she could, but she needed water and couldn't find it anywhere. Raoul informed her that the canteens of water were up front with the driver. As soon as they arrived at the train station, he went ahead to see that everything was properly loaded on the train which was ready to pull out of the station. Everyone else was now on board save Christine's maid who stayed behind to assist her. As Christine frantically wiped her dress with the damp handkerchief, her maid did her best to wipe it dry. Raoul was frantically waving and Christine knew they had to get on the train now. In the process of stuffing soiled handkerchiefs in her reticule, she managed to drop both the water canteen and her reticule. Christine hurried ahead, leaving her maid to pick up the water canteen and her reticule.

Raoul dragged Christine onto the train. They barely made it to their private car when the train unceremoniously began to pull out. As the train pulled away, they looked out the window of their compartment, watching her disheveled maid frantically running alongside, waving the canteen and wet reticule. Sadly, Christine waved back to her maid. Did this mean Raoul would be styling her hair?

In their private compartment, Raoul gave Christine a look that told her she was about to be scolded. "Christine, I have no idea why it took you over four hours to get dressed. In the future you will have one hour, two at the most. If you are not ready, I will throw a cloak around you and transport you to the carriage just the way you are."

"R…Raoul, you wouldn't dare!"

"Yes my dear, I believe I would. There will be additional maids to assist you at my mother's house. She will not tolerate being forced to wait that long on you. I daresay she will not wait at all. Christine, this has to stop now! We almost missed the train," he added staring at the water stain on the front of her dress. "And had you been ready on time, you could have finished your breakfast at home."

_At least this time her eyes are blinking… periodically. _

"Raoul, what are we going to do about your formerly dead brother?"

Giving her a strange look he replied, "Well we are not going to just sit back and let him take what is rightfully mine, if in a fact, I do have a brother who is alive. But why has he suddenly shown up after all these years?"

"What are you talking about Raoul?" This didn't sound like Philippe at all. "What exactly did your mother tell you in that letter? You never read it to me."

"I am sorry Christine and you are right. I should have read it to you. I was in such a state of shock after reading it that I was unable to think coherently. Please forgive me."

"Of course, Raoul. But please tell me what she wrote in her letter."

"According to my mother's letter, there was a son born to her _before_ Philippe whom they believed to be dead. But apparently he survived and now he has come back. My God! Where has he been all these years?"

"Well Raoul, if he was born, and they believed he was dead, they probably buried him."

This was not going well at all. Christine was beginning to wonder if there was some sort of school for dead people where they learned how to come back. _Erik must have been the instructor. He always was a magnificent teacher. _

"No Christine, he wasn't buried! He was alive as a child, but what happened? Did he run away or was he kidnapped? Did he have amnesia? I wish I had answers Christine, but I don't. Mother never mentioned it to me, and I am her son, for God's sake!"

"Oh. Well I guess that does make him your formerly dead brother."

"What that makes him," yelled Raoul, "is a fake! And I intend to expose him as such!"

"Raoul, what if your brother did die, then he came back as Philippe? And now Philippe has come back. That should make it easier because you already know him."

"Christine. Listen to me very carefully. Dead people do not come back. Your father is dead and buried. Philippe is dead and buried. And thankfully, so is that…that Erik phantom monster! They are not coming back, Christine. Not ever. Please, for both our sakes you must let go of the past and never speak of it again."

"Yes, Raoul," Christine whispered._ But Erik did come back. Raoul only said Erik's first name because that is what the newspaper said. He called him Erik Phantom Monster. I guess the Phantom part is true but his last name is Mercier not Monster.__ Erik Phantom Mercier. But I no longer think of him as a Phantom. To me he is Erik P. Mercier. _

Raoul noticed Christine was thinking. _I hate it when she does that! _

When she returned to earth, he explained a bit of his plan to her. If this brother turned out to be his brother in truth, then Raoul would do everything in his power to discourage him from claiming the title of Comte DeChagny. Raoul's intention was to threaten him in every way possible. _If the man happens to be married, Christine will be_ _the perfect person to discourage his brother's wife by totally confusing her._ _That should do it._

The rest of the trip passed without further incident. Well almost. They were six hours late because Christine insisted on covering every square inch of Burgos. She just had to search for the right pair of shoes to replace the ones she ruined when…Raoul didn't even want to think about that!

As they pulled up in front of his mother's house in their hired carriage, Christine began fussing with her dress and smoothing out wrinkles. She looked beautiful. Raoul helped Christine out of the carriage. As they stepped into the foyer, he realized the trunks and the servants had already arrived. Hours ago, no doubt. He looked around for Christine's maid to assist her while she freshened up for dinner. He didn't dare let her go up the three-story stairwell by herself. When they were here last, she made a wrong turn on the second floor and it took half a day to find her.

The butler greeted Raoul and Christine, informing them the Contessa and the others were waiting for them in the dining room. The nervous couple followed the butler into the dining room, Christine, looking down at her feet and Raoul, looking at Christine. His mother came over and greeted them with a hug and a big smile.

"Raoul," she said, tears in her eyes, "I want you to meet your older brother, Erik Philippe DeChagny." Raoul gazed up at the masked face with what could only be described as a look of sheer horror.

Christine raised her eyes up and looked at Erik with what could only be described as a stunned look of realization. "I knew it! Raoul you lied to me! You told me that Philippe is dead…" then Christine pointed at Erik, "…and that _his_ middle name is Phantom!" Everyone stood there staring at Christine with what could only be described as blank looks. So Christine did the only thing she could, given the circumstances.

She fainted.

The End? _Nope. They're stuck with her. _


End file.
